As we reported last week, the Governor had until noon Tuesday to take action the over 200 bills sent to him at the end of the 2018-19 legislative term. The Governor vetoed the following bills of interest. Since it was the end of the legislative term, the Governor was able to pocket veto the bills without providing a veto statement. Therefore, we are uncertain what, if any, issues the Governor had with the bills vetoed.
A-1044 would have required the Director of Division of Taxation to examine the feasibility of establishing, for the administration of the homestead property tax reimbursement program, a centralized property tax data system that would assist the Division in verifying the amount of property tax paid on any homestead in any base year, and in any year for which an eligible claimant seeks a reimbursement. A-1044 provided a specific timeline for the feasibility report and outlines the next steps. The League supported this bill that could lead to a streamline process for taxpayers applying for the homestead property tax reimbursement program.
A-4382 would have required paint producers to implement or participate in a paint stewardship program. This bill would require paint producers to develop and implement or participate in a program to recover paint. The League supported this common-sense bill as good public policy. Assemblywomen Pinkin and Lopez and Assemblyman Kennedy have introduced the bill (A-1979) in the new legislative term.
S-2897 would have required the Department of Community Affairs to establish procedures for inspection and abatement of mold hazards in residential buildings and school facilities, and certification programs for mold inspectors and mold hazard abatement workers. The League supported this common-sense bill that would have created, for the first time, standards for mold hazards inspectors and abatement workers. Assemblymen Benson, Wimberly and Assemblywoman Carter have introduced the Assembly bill (A-1336) and Senators Madden and Singer have introduced the Senate bill (S-574) in the new legislative term.
S-2958 would have established the “Energy Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership Act.” This permissive legislation would allow a government entity to enter into a public-private partnership agreement with a private entity to develop, design, build, operate or maintain one or more energy-related projects and to assume financial, developmental, operational, managerial and administrative responsibilities in partnership with the government entity. S-2958 is permissive legislation that provides appropriate safeguards with a public process. The League supported this legislation that would have provided municipalities with another mechanism to fund and complete energy-related projects.
S-3770 would have established the "New Jersey Economic and Fiscal Policy Review Commission" to provide an ongoing review of State and local tax structure, economic conditions, and related fiscal issues. The 12-member panel within the Legislative Branch of State government would include three members from the Senate, three from the Assembly, and six public members. The League supported this common-sense legislation.
A-4463 would have established an “Electronic Permit Processing Review System.” While the bill provides authority for local enforcement agencies to charge a fee to applicants to offset the initial startup costs associated with the new electronic review system, this fee structure is not sufficient to adequately recover these costs. Further, this bill, which the League opposed, failed to take into account the realities of the permit review process that not all applications are suited for electronic review. Assemblymen Freiman, Egan and Karabinchak have introduced the Assembly bill (A-1145) in the new legislative term.
S-3393 would have established a pilot program to allow special occasion events to be conducted on preserved farmland under certain conditions. The League opposed this bill, which would allow preserved farmland to be used for purposes not initially contemplated when public funds were used to permanently preserve these prime agricultural lands. Further, this bill would have eliminated local oversight of events taking place on these preserved lands. Assemblymen Mazzeo, Houghtaling and Armato have introduced the Assembly bill (A-298) in the new legislative term.
Absent amendments to the legislation during the current (2020-21) session, we will continue to support the bills that we had supported and the bills that we had opposed last time around. Please contact your Legislators to communicate your position on these matters.
- Michael F. Cerra, Assistant Executive Director, mcerra@njlm.org or 609-695-3481 x120
- Lori Buckelew, Senior Legislative Analyst, lbuckelew@njlm.org, 609-695-3481 x112.
- Frank Marshall, Esq., League Staff Attorney, FMarshall@njlm.org or 609-695-3481 x.137.
- Jon Moran, Senior Legislative Analyst, jmoran@njlm.org, 609-695-3481 x121.